MATS Dry Gin

The Facts

An incredibly powering citrus smell hits your nose right upon opening this bottle, which doesn’t really surprise, considering its bright yellow labelling!
But there is more to this gin than just citrus: a pleasant earthy scent of piney juniper and some fresh pepper notes accompany MATS Gin’s signature botanical: Buddha’s Hand
Although I have never smelled/tasted the fruit, one can clearly tell that those whooping citrus notes are no lemons, oranges or limes. It’s very unique and therefore extremely intriguing

The very first impression is surprisingly sharp, the cubeb pepper really gets to the front here
It doesn’t take MATS too long to express its signature citrussy notes on the palate, either, as the taste turns into a composition of (different) citrus notes which is difficult to compare to any other gin I remember
The juniper is not as present on the palate, which doesn’t even hurt here. There is just so much more to experience in this gin
The finish is not as long, after the gin seemingly vaporizes on the tongue. Some of its very characteristic notes, however, seem to prevail a little longer

A little ice immediately erases the sharpness we felt without ice, which is good as the actual TASTE of pepper remains very present – especially in the aftertaste which is impressive
I also feel to taste the Buddha’s Hand a lot better as it gets clearer and easier to get a hand on (pun not intended)
Lemon grass, piment and orange blossoms are other botanicals featured in MATS gin and – even though I am unable to fully distinguish all of them – I think this sip on ice is perfect to experience its full complexity

First up: Fever-Tree Indian Tonic
- This is good but not perfect, I must say
- Even in an almost 1:1 mix, the tonic somehow overpowers the gin – or is it the gin that’s not strong enough?
- Anyhow, this surprises me as the neat and on-ice tries were so intese, both smell and taste wise
More to come soon…

Quite a gin unlike any other gin I have tried before, which is good and positive as such
The overwhelming and banging citrus notes are pleasantly accompanied/complemented by earthy juniper and some significant pepper accents, which make this gin rather complex
I am yet to find the perfect pairing but it seems like a gin which could be used well in cocktails such as an Aviation, Sour variations or a Bramble, I would say